The East Marion Eagles have been hard at work in preparation for this week's district tournament, with hopes of proving they've taken a step forward since last year to put themselves in better position to win in the postseason.
The Eagles (15-4, 6-2) carried momentum into the tournament from a big 73-66 win over Loyd Star on senior night Jan. 31, which allowed them to edge out the Hornets for the No. 2 seed in the district tournament. Senior LJ Andrews led the way for East Marion with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Donny Anderson chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and two assists as the Eagles came out on top in their final home game of the season.
Head coach Calvin Brown said he was proud of what the Eagles accomplished in the regular season, having won nine of their last 10 matchups and placing second in district play. But he believes what they do from this point forward will ultimately determine how they get remembered, and neither he nor his players are taking that opportunity lightly.
"I'm really pleased with the season we've had up until this point, but this is where we have to prove that we're really better," Brown said. "This is where the bottom fell out last season, so it's really up to us to put our best foot forward and show that we truly are better than we were last time around."
The Eagles' first-round matchup in the district tournament at West Lincoln pitted them right back against the Hornets on Tuesday, who placed third in the district following last week's loss at East Marion, but results were unavailable at press time.
Brown said Monday that even though the Eagles had defeated the Hornets only days earlier, they wouldn't be taking their preparation for the rematch lightly, remembering all too well how Loyd Star defeated them in last year's tournament to end their chances of winning a district title.
"We've got Loyd Star, who gave us all we could handle the first time around, and we expect the same on Tuesday," Brown said. "They were one of the teams that left a bitter taste in our mouths last year, so we definitely can't overlook them."
Brown said he believes this year's seniors will be remembered for a long time by the effort and passion they displayed, not only on the hardwood but in everything they strived to achieve during their time as students at East Marion.
"This group will be remembered as the total package. They've been solid on the court, off the court and in the classroom," Brown said. "They really represented the program well in all facets. That's what I'll remember most about this group."
The winner of Tuesday's game between the Eagles and Hornets will advance to the district championship game, which will be played Friday at 8:30 p.m. against the winner between No. 1 seed Bogue Chitto and No. 4 seed Amite County. The Eagles were 2-0 against Amite County this season and 0-2 against Bogue Chitto. The loser of Tuesday's games will compete for third place in the tournament at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
The Lady Eagles' (2-17, 1-7) season reached its end Monday with a 25-12 loss in the opening round of the district tournament to Amite County.
